INSIDER

You'll Never Make Traditional Cheesecake Again, Thanks to This Recipe

The Kitchy Kitchen is the brainchild of food enthusiast and self-taught chef Claire Thomas. With a focus on new spins on classic meals, the site provides unfussy recipes. Thomas has amassed notoriety in the culinary world, as host of Food for Thought With Claire Thomas on ABC and author of The Kitchy Kitchen: New Classics for Living Deliciously. Here, Thomas will be providing original recipes every month for MyDomaine readers to experience their own Kitchy Kitchen at home.

On a recent trip to Toronto, I decided to drop into the best Greek spot in town. There, I tried the perfect cheesecake. It was nothing like the familiar classic New York variety, with the usual graham cracker crust and dense texture. No, this was a lighter version, with an airy, fluffy crust. I spent more time than I’d like to admit looking up “Greek shredded wheat” until I discovered kataifi.

Kataifi is a thinly sliced filo dough that spins into golden brown tufts of pure crunch. This was the base of the cheesecake and the source of its perfect light crisp.

When I ventured to make this myself, I based the cheesecake off of an old recipe from the ’50s, filled with far more egg and cream than more contemporary versions. I also, stupidly, baked the filling and crust together, ruining the perfectly crisp crust. You have to bake the two separately to get the amazing contrast of textures. Although it seems a bit labored, I promise it's easy once you separate the two tasks. Keep scrolling to learn how to make this incredible cheesecake for yourself!